SWEET 19 BLUES is the fifth single by Japanese singer Namie Amuro, released on August 21, 1996. This single reached #2 on the weekly Oricon charts and charted for 13 weeks. It sold 452,890 copies, becoming the #64 single of 1996.

SWEET 19 BLUES (STRAIGHT RUN) finally takes care of all the problems previous singles had. The music is bouncy, I really like the bassline, and Namie finally controls her vocals by singing in a lower pitch. Still she sounds pretty dead throughout the song so that’s a bit of a shame, but it’s a huge improvement. The laid back and yet a little bit cheerful ambience makes this a standout song at this point in her career.

SWEET 19 BLUES (KC DUB MIX) features the very same tempo as the original, but takes it a little more to the next level with a heavier beat that suits the song very well. It’s like there are some more synths as well, but that’s where it stops to differ from the original. Added beats and synths, that’s it.

I was surprised to hear Namie take a turn with Joy (STRAIGHT RUN) to a more urban/hiphop genre. It’s just too bad that some of the vocal melodies didn’t quite fit the melody, if there even is one because the track just stays at one flow all the time. Namie’s raps are good, better than those from the unknown male person, it just sounds a little too much like Ayu’s ‘NOTHING FROM NOTHING’ material.

Joy (EXTENDED SUMMERTIME MIX) is indeed an extended version of the previous song with just some more instruments, being a funky guitar and an organ sound in the background. It’s better than the original, but I’ve seen that before in Namie’s discography.

SWEET 19 BLUES wasn’t bad, but I can hear that she still needed improvement. She came a long way already, but then again everything is better than You’re my sunshine. A very laid back single, and it was pretty enjoyable despite some flaws.